Indicator for electric snap-switches.



No. 772,051 PATENTED OCT. 11, 1904.

' C. G. PERKINS.

INDICATOR FOR ELECTRIC SNAP SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.15, 1903.

UNITE STATES Patented October 1 1,1} 904.

CHARLES C. PERKINS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

INDICATOR FOR ELECTRIC SNAP-SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,051, dated Octob'er 11, 1904.

Application filed October 15, 1903. Serial No. 177,149. (No model.)

To a, whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES Cr. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Electric Snap-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for indicating the position of the movable poles of an electric snapswitchthat is, for indicating whether the circuit is closed or opened and current is or is not being'used.

It has been customary to attach or apply a disk with the words Off and On or Opened and Closed to the spindle or spindle-sleeve of the switch mechanism inside of the cover, which has been provided with an opening, so that one of the words would be visible, Such an indicating means requires the manufacture of a dial and means for attaching or applying it to the mechanism; also,

' the making of an opening through the cover,

so that a word on the dial would be visible.

The making of the dial and its applicationv adds expense to a snap-switch, and the weight of the dial increases the wear of the parts, for the reason that the dial has to be rotated and its momentum has to be checked when the rotating parts are stopped. Forming an opening in the cover adds expense to the construction and also permits the entrance of dust and moisture into the interior unless the opening is covered with glass or some transparent Inaterial.

The object of this invention is to provide an indicating means which is readily observable and which cheapens the cost, reduces the wear, and eliminates the liability of dust and moisture entering through the cover and fouling the mechanism.

In carrying out this invention the words On anc Off or words of like import are formed on the handle or turn-button and are arranged to cooperate with an indicating device or word on the cover for disclosing the position of the.poles and the condition of the circuit.

Figure l of the accompanying drawings shows a plan of a switch-handle and cover with an indicating means arranged according to this invention. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the handle and cover. Fig. 3 shows a plan of a modified arrangement of handle and cover, and Fig. 4 shows a side elevation of the modification.

The handle may be made of the usual material, desirably a black rubber composition, and may be given any approved shape. As shown in Figs. 1 and Q, it may be formed with four cylindrical sections 1, which extend the whole height of the handle and are joined by a central web-like body 2. In this form the cylindrical sections are adapted to be grasped by the fingers for turning the handle. The handle may, as shown in Figs. 3' and 4:, have a diamond-shaped part 3, which is adapted to be grasped by the fingers for turning the handle, and a flange 4:, that extends outwardly from the innerend of the diamond-sh aped part.

The words Ofif and On or Opened and Closed may be printed, painted, stamped, or applied in any convenient way to the outer ends of the cylindrical parts of the handle or to the 'fiange which projects from the handle. It is preferred to use the words Off and On and have the words On arranged on disks 5, of celluloid, ivory, orthe like light-colored material, that are embedded in the composition when the handle is made, so that the words On will appear on a light background, while the words Ofl will appear on a black background. The words On and Ofi may of course be stamped directly on the composition of the handle and left without treatment or may be painted white, or both may be applied to disks of light-colored material that are set in the composition dicating character or word may be stamped 1n or raised on the surface of the cover, which may, as shown in Fig. 4, be recessed so that the indication will be on the same level as the words on the handle.

Vhen the handle is turned and the poles in the interior of the switch are thrown, the handle remains with one word adjacent to the indicating character on the coverthat is, the word pointed to tells the condition of the circuit. If the parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 1, the current is indicated as being off. If aword is used, the Word on the cover reads with a word on the handle to indicate the conditionof the circuit. It may read Circuit opened or Circuit closed.

With indicating means embodying this invention it is not necessary to cut an opening through the cover of the switch, and this results in a saving of expense and removes a source of trouble in that there is no opening for the entrance of dirt and dust to foul the mechanism. This dispenses with the use of a dial or movable pointer, also a saving of expense, and it lightens the moving parts by the weight of the dial and the attaching means.

The invention claimed is An indicating means for an electric switch having a rotatable handle, a part extending outwardly from the inner end of the handle, words on the outwardly-extending part of the handle, a cover, a recess in the cover adapted to receive the extending part of the handle, and an indicating character or Word on the cover adjacent to the recess and adapted to cooperate with the words carried by the handle to indicate the condition of the circuit, substantially as specified.

CHARLES G. PERKINS.

Witnesses:

ETHEL M. Lown, H. R. WILLIAMS. 

